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Unfortunately for Photobucket users, things have changed in a big way as of June 26th they are rolling out a $399 per year subscription fee for those who want to hotlink images from Photobucket’s servers to display elsewhere.
This does not mean it only affects this site, It now means that billions of images across the Web now display an error message instead of the image in question. :(
https://barrreport.com/threads/attention-photobucket-users.14377/

this was based on the EI-Light note as well as some of my own calculations based on the fertilator.

Anyway, I decided to check the NO3 in my 22g tank -- 4 days after a 50% water change and 2 of the 3/4 tsp KNO3 doses (1/4 for the 22g tank -- I mix the 3/4 in fresh water and split it 1/3 and 2/3).

The NO3 measurment looked between 40 and 80ppm (the API test kit is a bit difficult in that region, the 2 colours are about the same). Anyway, I did another 50% water change and after 30min tested the NO3 and found it at 20ppm. This was my target.

Seems to me that if these results are even near accurate I should not be dosing KNO3 at all??

My ammonia and nitrite are 0 in both tanks. I tested this because the 22g has 2 Bala's and they were headstanding and rolling -- and a couple of web sites suggested nitrate shock.

Don't believe the test kit. Make a stock solution to test the test kit. Use RO or distilled water and a measured amount of KNO3. USe a dosing calculator to figure out what the solution should be in terms of ppm. The test with the testkit.

Don't believe the test kit. Make a stock solution to test the test kit. Use RO or distilled water and a measured amount of KNO3. USe a dosing calculator to figure out what the solution should be in terms of ppm. The test with the testkit.

Regards.

Click to expand...

OK -- never thought of that -- too bad I'm at work -- this will have to wait until tonight.

I will also add in that It probably really isnt a good Idea to dose like that becuase its pure estimation.... just about like if you were to just sprinkle some powder out of the bag until you dumped what seemed like 3/4 of a teaspoon in. It would probably be a lot better to measure the amount for each tank and not just combine it and add most to one and the rest to the other.

I will also add in that It probably really isnt a good Idea to dose like that becuase its pure estimation.... just about like if you were to just sprinkle some powder out of the bag until you dumped what seemed like 3/4 of a teaspoon in. It would probably be a lot better to measure the amount for each tank and not just combine it and add most to one and the rest to the other.

Click to expand...

My measuring bottle is marked in 1/3rds, carefully meassured. Pouring that amount might get a bit too much or too little, the percent would be very small, probably on the order of 5% or less.

Consider adding 1/24 of a teaspon of a powder to something and consider the error that is likely there. Consider on the other hand adding 1/8 of a tsp (I have a 1/8 tsp) to a large bottle and then splitting that into 3rds. I do it this way to increase accuracy.

If I was always adding 1/4 or 1/2 or even 1/8, then I would not bother with the single bottle and splitting that -- but some are 1/8 or 3/16 for the tank total. The tank volumns have been computed quite accurately at the first fill with rocks/driftwood/substrate -- and are in fact almost exactly 1/3 and 2/3.

Don't believe the test kit. Make a stock solution to test the test kit. Use RO or distilled water and a measured amount of KNO3. USe a dosing calculator to figure out what the solution should be in terms of ppm. The test with the testkit.

Regards.

Click to expand...

OK -- I did the following
- 1/2 tsp KNO3 into 20ml of water -- used 4ml of the result. This should
give me 1/10 tsp of KNO3
- chucks calc says 0.1tsp of KNO3 gives 21.6ppm in 10L of water
- I added the above 4ml (1/10tsp) to 10L of 0-NO3 water -- result looked
like it could be about 20ppm Nitrate -- but the *&^$ test kit the 20ppm
and 40ppm colours are the same (not just my blindness, I asked 2 others
in the family who did not know what it was about).
- so if we believe this (lets do that), I tested my tank which I thought was
40 to 80ppm, and guess what -- the colours in the two test tubes
side-by-side are identical

OK, so I don't have terribly high nitrates -- I just have un-coordinated
Balas (or sick ones -- they seem find otherwise). Since this is supposed
to be my quarantine tank (it looks to good for that!) -- I will just leave
them there for a while and see what happens.

Thanks for all the help.

By the way -- as an aside, I also post/read another forum which has
probably 500x or more the posts that this one has. However -- I get
at least 1000x the quality of info and advice from this one -- so on that
other topic of "paying" -- its well worth every cent. Thanks to all.

Staff MemberAdministratorSocial Group Admin

By the way -- as an aside, I also post/read another forum which has
probably 500x or more the posts that this one has. However -- I get
at least 1000x the quality of info and advice from this one -- so on that
other topic of "paying" -- its well worth every cent. Thanks to all.

Click to expand...

Thanks,

Tell other folks you knwo about it.
It'll help them the same way also.

This really is less of a forum and much more a monthly magazine or a place to really try and figure out those issues that keep bugging you.

The forum was really added at the request of the subscribers as a tool to discuss the Reports each month and an easy familiar platform to communicate should anyone need my help or those of the other subscribers.

Most of the subscribers here are extremely experienced.
If you read each month's article, you will learn a great deal too.
Even if you are like me, I learn a lot everytime I write one!!!!
Really, I do. There are roughly 150 pages worth of meaty articles to consider and read. They are not intended to be easy reads. Plenty of that already.

There are some public access articles, these are more general and to help public folks all over the web. I give these articles out freely as I do my advice.

But folks here will get the royal treatment on methods, advice and new stuff that I come out with. You also get 10% off ADA products from Jeff Senske at ADG, not a bad deal, you can save the subscription cost right there.
Jeff is a great guy, professional and supporter in this hobby.

If I can help you to grow some nice plants, you can ebay or Aqua bid them and make $$$. Then it's easy to pay for small things like this.

That's the goal with new folks.
If you can invest a little, you can get a huge pay off here and with some products from ADG(ADA aqua soil is one such item that will pay for itself over time)

I do try hard to bring new ideas and concepts to the table and discussion here about plants/algae, linking things together, even though they are often complex. Sometimes they are more simple.

The how is relatively easy, the why is much more elusive.
But nowhere else is going to really chew into a topic like I do here.
Folks do enjoy reading that.

There are many members/subscribers, but this is still much more a read only or reference type site than it is a "forum".

So traffic is low but the topics are ones folks have had issues answering elsewhere. Most are resolved here as well(those that are on going, are still dealt with till they are solved, giving up is not an option) and most every stone is turned over in looking at the potential issues.

About Us

Welcome to the Barr Report a place to learn about Aquariums, Aquarium Plants, Aquascaping, Emersed Growth and much much more!

Where Hobbyist help other Hobbyist!

Helping others gives you a sense of purpose and meaning. To this end, we seek the truth and new ways at looking at problems with aquatic horticulture. Often times, we just need the "more experienced" hobbyist to remind us of the basics. Even if you are quite experience already!